1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hoses, such as those commonly used to supply water to gardens, and, more particularly, to a reinforcement sleeve and wrench device for attaching a hose to a water tap. The device, in operation, provides anti-kinking support for a hose as well as providing means for a user to grasp and twist a hose connector for attachment to or removal from a supply source, spigot or mating fixture.
2. Prior Art
Reinforcing devices for use with a water hose are well known in the art. Some examples for such devices are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,316,348, 5,246,254, and 5,333,650. In addition, various mail-order catalogs offer such anti-kinking devices either preattached to a hose or sold separately as a hose attachment. In the latter instance, the devices are designed to slide onto a hose.
Particular attention is drawn to U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,348 to Franklin et al. (the '348 device). The '438 device comprises a sleeve having a cylindrical central bore dimensioned to slide over a garden hose. The leading (proximal) end of the sleeve is formed into a wrench which matingly engages the outer surface of the threaded coupling fixture rotatably mounted at the supply terminus of the garden hose. The outer surface of the sleeve includes struts along the length thereof which provide a non-slip surface for grasping the sleeve with the hand which facilitates twisting the device to apply torque to the hose coupling fixture and for strengthening the terminal end of the hose to prevent kinking at or near the water supply fixture. A difficulty arises when using this device as the design requires that the device be slid over the delivery end of the hose and advanced along the length of the hose to the water supply terminus to a position adjacent to the supply end where it is adapted to be used. Further, the device, once in position, is free to slide away from the spigot and along the hose, thereby losing its ability to reduce kinking at the portion of the hose adjacent to the supply coupling fixture.
Notwithstanding the plethora of devices provided for preventing kinking in the supply end of a garden hose, there remains a need for a device which can be simply fitted onto the supply end of a hose without the need for threading the device over the delivery end and sliding the device over the entire length of the hose to overlie the supply end where it is necessarily positioned to accomplish its intended use. There remains a need for a device which is useful for preventing kinking at the supply end of a garden hose, and which may be removably or permanently installed directly at the supply end without sliding the device over the entire length of a hose. Further, the device should be able to be manually rotated (twisted) to apply torque to the hose coupling fixture for attachment and release from a threaded spigot or similar water supply fixture.